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Transformation of the Day: Ashley lost 75 pounds. After giving birth to a healthy baby boy, she experienced Postpartum depression and felt like she would never lose the baby weight. She realized that she wanted to a be a healthy and fit mom, so she started making practical changes to her lifestyle to get results. Check out her story.

I recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. After giving birth, I weighed roughly around 225 pounds. My pre-pregnancy weight was 150 pounds! You can imagine the after shock I experienced do to the extra weight, (which is completely acceptable given the circumstances). After giving birth I was diagnosed with Postpartum depression. That took a toll on me. I truly began to believe that I would never lose the extra weight and I soon became complacent.

Fast forward 8 months to when I was running to the room to aid my crying baby. I suddenly became short of breath as I fell to my knees right outside the baby’s room. That’s when I realized I had to make a change! The reality of the situation was that my infant would soon become a toddler, a kid and then a teenager. I wanted to be able to chase after my son and not feel like I would pass out while doing so. That very day, I decided that I had to make a change. I renewed my mindset!

First, I made changes to my diet. I initially decreased my my meat intake. Now, I only eat meat once a month. I primarily eat nuts, seeds, veggies, fruit and lentils. Now, I workout 4-5 days per week. My workouts consist of moderate cardio, and a lot of resistance training.

As my fitness journey progressed, I made several other lifestyle changes and I began to notice a difference, both physically and mentally. The biggest obstacle I overcame was myself! I didn’t believe that I could or would change. Once I renewed my mind and began to believe in myself, changes accumulated in every direction! I was actually started to looking great and feeling better. I aspire to continue improving while inspiring others to believe in themselves while striving to unlock their full potential.

I restarted my fitness journey in March of 2017 and my starting weight was 230 pounds. My current weight is 155 pounds and I’m 5’4″ in height. I am still transforming daily, as I strive to meet my goal of 20% body fat. (I’m currently at 25%.)

I’ve learned that you must not give up. Keep going! If you believe it, you will achieve it.

Instagram: @weekendcurves

Transformation of the Day: Brandi lost 86 pounds. She found her motivation when being overweight made an international trip very uncomfortable. The last straw came when she tore her ACL and meniscus while jumping on a trampoline and had to have surgery. She transformed her lifestyle, and now meal prepping and cooking is as essential to her as having clean clothes. Check out her journey.

Starting Weight: 279 pounds
Current Weight: 193 pounds
Height: 5’8”

What was your motivation? What inspired you to kep going when you wanted to give up?
The trip I took to Japan in April 2015 is what motivated me.

I was probably at my heaviest weight then, and I just remember being uncomfortable for the entire trip. I got stuck in a middle seat on the flight both ways, and the seat belt was way too tight! I remember my knees, back and hips hurting from all the walking we did on our sightseeing adventures. I remember my feet and ankles being swollen at the end of each day. I remember being the one in the group who always wanted to take a train/bus or bike rather than walk, and the one who needed to take extra breaks along the way.

The final straw was when I tore my ACL and meniscus while jumping on a trampoline at my godson’s 6-year-old birthday party in June of 2015. I wasn’t the only adult out there jumping with the kids, but I was convinced that I injured myself because my knees couldn’t support my weight!

I needed surgery to repair my knee, and because of my weight, it had to be done in the hospital rather than an outpatient surgery center. It was then that I knew I had to do something “drastic” to regain control of my weight and my life!

How did you change your eating habits?
The biggest change I made was that I started cooking!

Before, my breakfast was often coffee from Dunkin Donuts or McDonald’s, accompanied by some sort of breakfast sandwich. I ate out almost daily for lunch, and several times a week for dinner.

Meal planning/prepping and cooking all my meals has been the biggest adjustment, but also the most essential to my success.

In the past, my excuse for not cooking was that I never had time. I’ve learned that I always have time to do the things I deem are important, so I had to make meal prep and cooking a priority. Now, its part of my routine and just as important as making sure I have clean clothes ready for my work week!

When did you start your journey?
July 2015. The entire process has been a struggle! I reached a healthy weight nearly a year ago, but I have continued to work with Kurt Dixon of Body Refined for a total 2 1/2 yrs. now.

What advice do you have for other people who want to lose weight?
Cook, Cook, Cook! Eating out is convenient, but even when you order the “healthy” option, it not as healthy as it would be if you cooked it yourself. Eat as clean as possible (no processed foods), as consistently as possible.

Lastly, you don’t need to kill yourself in the gym every day to lose weight. It’s about 80% of what you do outside of the gym and your overall lifestyle (including what you are eating).

Facebook: facebook.com/brandi.jones.754
Coach: Kurt Dixon, CNC HFS CPT
Body Refined, Inc

Disclaimer: Reference or link to any specific product, diet plan, exercise plan or service mentioned in the weight loss stories we share is for the information of our readers, and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Black Women Losing Weight.

Transformation of the Day: Sinora lost 60 pounds. She experienced depression and weight gain after having a hysterectomy at 25 years old. For 2 decades, she used food for comfort. In 2016, she made a commitment to release the weight through healthy eating habits and exercise. Check out her transformation journey.

What is your motivation? What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
I’m a mom to my 25 year old son and I’m a wife (married for 25 years). When I was 25 years old, I underwent a total hysterectomy and lost my ability to bear more children. I slipped in a deep depression and allowed myself to gain more than 100 pounds. I used food for comfort for over the course of 2 decades.

I’m 2016, I signed up to be a contestant on Lifetime network series This Time Next Year. I pledged to the world that I would lose 100 pounds in 1 year, but I didn’t achieve my goal. However, I did lose 60 pounds and I feel amazing. For once in my life, I feel like I’m in control of me. I workout and I eat right. It is truly a lifestyle change for me and I love it.

I captured my entire journey in video and pictures. My transformation pics along the way are what motivated me to keep going. I felt overjoyed to see my accomplishments in my before and after pics. I felt like, “Yesssssssssss, I Did That!”

How did you change your eating habits?
I joined Weight Watchers because it allowed me to track everything that I was eating. I was given a point value for everything I ate. As long as I stayed on track with my points, I lost an average of 2-5 pounds per week. Weight Watchers worked for me.

I stopped eating sweets. No more cookies or cakes. I also started eating Arugula salad and Salmon (actually to this day that actually is still my favorite food). When I started to plateau and I wasn’t gaining or losing, I started using a meal service plan called Diet To Go. This happened toward the end of my 1 year journey. I was pretty much eating low carb meals.

What did your workout routine look like?
I joined my local YMCA, and I started working muscles that I didn’t know existed like, my triceps and biceps. I never knew these were muscles…lol. I always start off by doing 30 minutes on the treadmill as a warmup .  The elliptical and the stair machine are my favorites. Even though these machines work my butt off, the benefits are awesome because they burn the most calories. In the beginning I was only able to workout 2 days per week because I was soooooo out of shape. Toward the end of my transformation, I was hitting the gym 5 days per week.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 270 pounds. My current weight is 210 pounds. My height is 5’3″.

When did you start your journey?
December 6, 2016

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned on this journey?
“If you fall off track, just start again fresh the next day. Getting off track is all apart of the process” – Oprah Winfrey ~ This quote stuck with me though out my entire journey, because I did have days where was fell off but I didn’t let that stop me from reaching my goal.

What advice do you have for other people who want to lose weight?
Consistency is key. Stick to a route that works for you. If you fall off track don’t let that stop you from achieving your goals.

Instagram: @sinora_glenn
Facebook: Facebook.com/Sinora.the.swiffer.mom

PS: You may have seen her in this Swiffer commercial.

Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful Mother. What other son could say he has a national Commercial with his Mom. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be here today so I show her how much I appreciate her everyday. Happy Mother’s Day Ma @sinora_glenn love ya! 🌹🌹🌹🍾…. #Swiffer #SwifferEffect #SwifferSweepAndTrap #SwifferMom

A post shared by Christopher C Glenn JR (@christophercglennjr) on May 14, 2017 at 6:04am PDT

Disclaimer: Reference or link to any specific product, diet plan, exercise plan or service mentioned in the weight loss stories we share is for the information of our readers, and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Black Women Losing Weight.

Leslie lost 17 pounds in 30 days with intermittent fasting, low carb meals and lots of exercise. Her  beloved son was diagnosed with Brain Cancer and passed away at the age of 9. In the aftermath of her loss, she realized that she had to do something about her weight gain, breathing issues and high blood pressure. Check out how she took action.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
My son was diagnosed with Brain Cancer and passed away at the age of 9 on January 8, 2015. I realized through the Cancer journey, that food was my go-to. It was my soother. It was what made me feel “good”. After going through that storm, my breathing had gotten horrible. My blood pressure is through the roof and my clothes are too tight.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started by going low carb. I also cut out all sugary drinks and have only been drinking water. I also do intermittent fasting where I only eat during an 8 hour window and fast for the other 16 hours each day. My eating window is 1pm-9pm, so I don’t eat breakfast. I usually just water or coffee instead.

For lunch, I keep it super simple. I eat a protein (chicken, shrimp, or fish) with a side of veggies (broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, etc) seasoned with Mrs Dash, Red Pepper Flakes, and garlic powder.

For snacks, I usually have almonds, slim Jim’s, fruit, sunflower kernels, and pork rinds (sparingly). Boiled/Deviled eggs are always great too. For dinner, it’s the same as lunch, (meat and veggies)

I sometimes replace lunch or dinner with juiced veggies/fruit. My favorite “punch” is a mix of apples, carrots, cucumber, spinach and pineapple.

What does your workout routine look like?
I use simple methods of working out. I have a goal of 10,000 steps a day that I get in by walking my dogs, taking stairs instead of elevators, parking in the farthest parking spot available, etc. When I don’t get 10k steps, I workout for 30 minutes… usually through youtube (dance fitness with Jessica, tabata with Keaira LaShae, walking workouts, etc) or I head to the gym.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 251 pounds and my current weight is 234 pounds. My short term goal is 199 pounds and my long term goal is 160 pounds. My height is 5’2”. (No surgery.)

When did you start your journey?
I started on 3/1/18. This part 1 of my 90 journey to reach my short term goal.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
To keep going. As long as I eat to get full, the cravings will go away.

What advice do you have for other people who want to lose weight?
Just start! Don’t procrastinate.

Instagram: @leslie.lashae